Leaseholders Freed From Costly Contract Terms

Following CMA action, leaseholders with Countryside Properties will no longer be subjected to ground rents that double every 10 or 15 years. Countryside Properties – one of the UK’s leading housing developers – has voluntarily given formal commitments to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to remove terms from leasehold contracts that cause ground rents to double in price. The effect of these increases, which kick in every 10 to 15 years, is that people often struggle to sell or mortgage their home and their property rights can be at risk, for example, if they fall behind on their rent. Read more on the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/leaseholders-freed-from-costly-contract-terms 

£8.6 Billion For Affordable Homes

 Thousands of people will be helped onto the housing ladder as funding worth £8.6 billion is allocated across the country. Part of the largest single investment in affordable housing in a decade, the Affordable Homes Programme funding will deliver around 119,000 homes, including 57,000 for ownership, 29,600 for social rent and 6,250 affordable rural homes. The cash injection could support up to 370,000 jobs across the country for homebuilders, SME developers, and wider businesses supporting the house building industry such as electricians and plumbers. This is expected to generate up to £26 billion of other private and public investment. Read more on the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/86-billion-for-affordable-homes-to-give-boost-onto-housing-ladder

Warmer, Greener And Cheaper Homes

Warmer, greener and cheaper social homes are on the way for tens of thousands of people living in social housing in England. Tens of thousands of people across England are set to benefit from warmer, greener social homes, with social housing providers given the chance to bid for government funding to make major improvements to their stock.

·         this investment will help tenants cut emissions while saving around £170 per year on energy bills

·         part of wider £9 billion commitment to increase the energy efficiency of homes, schools and hospitals – driving forward the Prime Minister’s ambitious 10 Point Plan for a green industrial revolution

Read more on the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/warmer-greener-and-cheaper-homes-as-government-opens-a-triple-win-upgrade-for-social-housing

Proposals To Help People Build Their Own Homes Welcomed By Housing Secretary

Proposals to help more people build their own homes have been ‘warmly welcomed’ by Robert Jenrick. Richard Bacon MP’s review of Custom and Self Build finds huge potential in the sector which could deliver 30-40,000 more homes every year, and recommends a major-scaling up of self-built homes to boost the overall housing supply. The report was commissioned to improve the housebuilding industry by giving customers more choice, and to make home building a mainstream, realistic and affordable option for people across the country. Read more on the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/proposals-to-help-people-build-their-own-homes-welcomed-by-housing-secretary-robert-jenrick

Help To Buy Loans Pass £20bn

The number of people purchasing a home through the Help to Buy scheme is at an all-time high. The latest Help to Buy statistics show that in the financial year 2020-21 over 55,000 households bought their home with the support of Help to Buy: equity loan – a record year for the scheme. Since the scheme was introduced 328,506 households have now purchased a home through Help to Buy. In total, the value of these equity loans has reached over £20 billion, with the value of the properties sold under the scheme going past the £90 billion mark. Read GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/record-number-of-households-benefit-from-help-to-buy-as-loans-pass-20bn 

First-Time Buyers Scheme Now Open For Bids

 Home builders across England can now bid for their share of a £150 million package by offering plots for sale as First Homes, the flagship government scheme aimed at first-time buyers and key workers. House builders are being invited to work with the government to deliver First Homes across the country in the coming months, with the aim of delivering 1,500 homes by March 2023. First Homes helps local first-time buyers and key workers onto the property ladder by offering homes at a discount of at least 30% compared to the market price. The same percentage will then be passed on with the sale of the property to future first-time buyers. Read more on the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/flagship-first-time-buyers-scheme-now-open-for-bids-from-house-builders

Right To Buy Replacements Hit Highest Level Since Discounts Were Hiked

The number of homes built or acquired to replace those lost through Right to Buy sales has hit its highest point since the scheme was reinvigorated in 2012. Government figures show that in the final quarter of 2020/21, councils in England delivered 2,060 homes using Right to Buy receipts, compared to 340 in the final quarter of 2012/13. This is the highest quarterly figure since 2012 when the government revived the Right to Buy scheme with significantly bigger discounts in a bid to increase sales. It is also up 23% on the 1,674 Right to Buy replacement starts or acquisitions made by councils between October and December 2020. See the full set of figures on the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/right-to-buy-sales-in-england-january-to-march-2021 

Use Of Discretionary Housing Payments Dropped Last Year Despite Pandemic

The use of funding allocated to local authorities to help those unable to keep up with housing costs dropped last year despite widespread financial strain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local authorities in England and Wales spent 94% of their allocated Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) in 2020/21 compared to 98% the previous year. DHPs can be paid to those entitled to housing benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting housing costs. Councils can decide whether to give a DHP, how much will be paid and for how long the claimant will receive the payment. Read more on the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/use-of-discretionary-housing-payments-financial-year-2020-to-2021/use-of-discretionary-housing-payments-analysis-of-end-of-year-returns-from-local-authorities-data-for-april-2020-to-march-2021 

Housing Possession Mediation Service

 In February 2021, a new mediation pilot was introduced as part of the current court process for housing possession cases. The mediation pilot is free to use for landlords and tenants involved in a housing possession court case and helps resolve cases without the need for a face to face court hearing. You work with a trained, neutral mediator, independent from HM Courts and Tribunals Service, who will help you identify issues and work to resolve them. All parties must agree on the outcome and feel they have reached an acceptable resolution. Read more on the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-possession-mediation-service/housing-possession-mediation-service

Decent Homes Standard: Review

The Charter for Social Housing Residents: Social Housing White Paper published on 17 November 2020 announced a review of the Decent Homes Standard to understand if it is right for the social housing sector today. Find more details about how the review will be conducted on the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/decent-homes-standard-review  

Housing First Pilots Interim Evaluation Report Published

The Housing First pilots were established following the commitment of £28million in the 2017 Autumn budget and operate across the Greater Manchester, Liverpool and West Midlands Combined Authority regional areas. The report confirms that as of September 2019 a total of 326 people had been recruited to these Housing First services, with a total of 105 people housed. There is a varied picture of housing across the three combined-authority areas, and although there has been a commitment from housing providers to support delivery, a significant challenge remains in securing suitable and affordable accommodation at scale, with particular concern around the availability of one-bedroom properties. Download the report from the GovUK website.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/946110/Housing_First_first_interim_process_report.pdf

Homes England Opens Bidding For Affordable Homes Programme

The government’s housing delivery agency has opened bidding for the continuous market engagement (CME) section of the next five-year Affordable Homes Programme. Housing associations, local authorities and developers looking to access grant through the CME route can now bid for a share of the £7.39bn being made available for the delivery of affordable homes outside London between 2021 and 2026. The CME route offers funding to providers on a scheme-by-scheme basis. The rest of the AHP funding will be available to Homes England’s strategic partners, which will receive long-term funding for their entire development programmes. Read the guidance on the Homes England website.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-affordable-housing-funding

Homes England Statistics Show Overall Housing Starts Down

Housing programmes delivered by Homes England saw an overall decrease in starts and completions in the first half of 2020-21 compared to the same period last year, according to official statistics. There were 11,313 new houses started on site and 11,358 homes completed through programmes managed by Homes England between 1 April and 30 September 2020. Starts on site were down by 38 per cent and completions were down 25 per cent, compared with the same period last year. Read more on the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-homes-england-statistics-show-overall-housing-starts-down-reflecting-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-housebuilding

Net New Homes Rise By 1%

The number of net new homes delivered in England rose in 2019/20 by 1% on the previous year, resulting in the largest figure since records began in the 1990s. The latest statistics from the MHCLG show 243,770 net additional dwellings were delivered in 2019/20, compared to 241,130 in 2018/19. Last year, the number of net additional homes reached the highest level since records began in 1991/92. A previous peak of 223,530 homes had been recorded in 2007/8 prior to the financial crash. See more on the Gov UK website.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/938173/Housing_Supply_England_2019-20.pdf

All Section 106 Homes To Be Subject To New Shared Ownership Model

The government has said that it expects from April that all homes delivered with funding from Section 106 developer contributions will need to follow its new shared ownership model, which allows buyers to purchase smaller initial stakes in properties and staircase in 1% chunks. The new details came as part of a consultation opened by the government today calling for responses to its new shared ownership plan. This includes previously unseen details about how the plan will work, such as how shared owners can buy 1% stakes in their purchased homes, as well as protect new shared owners from hefty repairs bills for the first 10 years. Download the consultation from the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/new-model-for-shared-ownership-technical-consultation?utm_source=480c7867-aaf7-4cb0-8a59-890a109d294b&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=daily 

Funding Allocated For 3,300 New Homes For Rough Sleepers

More than 3,300 new long-term homes for rough sleepers and other vulnerable people have been approved. Backed by government investment of more than £150 million the new homes will be made available in every region of England. This will enable people who sleep rough, or at risk of sleeping rough, to be rehoused in secure, long-term accommodation, providing some of the most vulnerable in society with a permanent place to live and help to rebuild their lives. These will be available by the end of March 2021. Read more on GovUK.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/funding-allocated-for-3-300-new-homes-for-rough-sleepers

Government Rejects Calls From MPs To Set Social Rent Targets

Ministers have failed to commit to a number of recommendations put forward by a group of cross-party MPs concerning the long-term delivery of social housing, including a refusal to provide grant to fund the purchase of unsold homes during the coronavirus pandemic. In its response to a report from the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee looking at the long-term delivery of social housing, the government rejected calls to set targets for affordable housing tenures and failed to commit to putting social housebuilding at the top of its COVID-19 recovery agenda. Download the report from the Gov UK website.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/924573/Long-term_Delivery_of_Social_and_Affordable_Rented_Housing_WEB.pdf 

Affordable Homes Programme Extended

A scheme to help get more families across England into affordable homes has been extended by a year, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has announced. Following unavoidable delays in the construction industry due to coronavirus, it is estimated that the building of 53,000 new affordable homes have stalled. The government is stepping in to safeguard funding and make sure these much-needed homes are not lost altogether, extending the current Affordable Homes Programme until March 2023. Homes to be built under the government’s £9 billion scheme originally needed shovels to be in the ground by March 2022. However the announcement means that housing associations and councils have a year longer to begin building these homes while still receiving government support. Read more on the Gov UK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jenrick-acts-to-safeguard-affordable-homes-during-pandemic

Social Housing To Be Prioritised For Veterans

New measures to ensure access to social housing is improved for members of the Armed Forces, veterans and their families have been announced by Housing Minister Christopher Pincher. The government has set out how councils should ensure members of the Armed Forces and veterans who need support with their mental health are given priority for social housing. New measures also mean former spouses or civil partners of serving personnel will be given extra support when applying for social housing. They will be exempted from rules requiring them to be a local resident before being given social housing in the area to ensure they are not disadvantaged when applying. Read more on the Gov UK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/social-housing-to-be-prioritised-for-veterans

£105 Million To Keep Rough Sleepers Safe

Interim housing for thousands of rough sleepers taken off the streets during the pandemic is to be provided, ministers have announced. The additional £105 million will be used to support rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness into tenancies of their own, including through help with deposits for accommodation, and securing thousands of alternative rooms already available and ready for use, such as student accommodation. The funding takes the total amount provided this year by government to support rough sleepers and those on the brink of becoming homeless to over half a billion pounds. Read more on the Gov UK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/105-million-to-keep-rough-sleepers-safe-and-off-the-streets-during-coronavirus-pandemic